Butte County farmer talks ag with Chinese

SAN FRANCISCO -- Last Saturday morning, Oroville olive producer Jamie Johansson was selling bottled oil at the Chico farmers market. Three days later, he was speaking in San Francisco to a group of business leaders from China. The topic was agricultural opportunities in California.

Johansson wears a lot of hats, and one of them is promoting agriculture in the Golden State. The former Oroville city councilman is currently the second vice president for the California Farm Bureau Federation, the statewide version of county farm bureaus.

His talk was part of China SF, a partnership of San Francisco's city and county, with the aim of economic development.

Bob Linscheid, formerly of Chico, is now the San Francisco Chamber of Commerce CEO, and invited Johansson down for the gathering.

The business leaders from China are interested in exchanging ideas, learning about best practices and creating business partnerships, Linscheid explained.

In the future, similar groups may be invited to tour the Butte County area, Linscheid said.

China is California's largest trade partner.

In the past few years, there have been 28 successful business collaborations in San Francisco that Linscheid knows about. Their size ranges.

"One of the (things) they are looking at are places for their students to learn state-of-the-art agriculture," Linscheid said.

For example, one of the leaders of the visiting group had attended UC Davis.

Johansson said ag leaders in China are recognizing that food availability and food safety issues are important, and California is a leader in these areas.

California is set up for ag exports, with a proven inspection program and 18 percent of ag value already sent overseas, he said.

From Butte County, food is sent to 50 different countries, he continued.

Even in a sluggish economy, ag is holding its own, which is attractive to foreign business leaders.

"The California Farm Bureau has always been interested in improving channels for increased trade," and has made recent improvements in trade to South Korea and Colombia, he said.

"The tone of the meeting was to open communication, to increase their interest in what California farmers can offer."

Today, many growers have direct contact with consumers and purchasers. There is also more diversification, he continued.

In the past, "an egg farmer had one option." Now that farmer can sell to different buyers based on how the egg is raised and fed, or even the color of the eggs.

"One of the things they were looking at is how efficient we are and how our production is the safest in the world," he said.

For example, voluntary programs in response to problems with leafy green vegetables have become a blueprint for the world, he said.

Johansson said the buzz in agriculture is that farmers will need to provide food for 9.3 billion people by 2050.

"What that means is that in 20 years we will have to double our food supply."

Also, there is an emerging middle class in many countries, which creates new markets for California producers.

These factors mean business between California and China will continue to grow.